Comparative analysis of some geomechanics problems using finite and infinite element methods

Abstract Four classical geomechanics problems involving semi-infinite linear elastic media have been solved numerically using recently developed mapped infinite elements coupled to finite elements.The effect of the remoteness of the truncated boundary and the location of infinite element coupling on solution accuracy has been studied. The results of conventional analyses using finite elements over a relatively large but restricted region are compared to the coupled analyses. Comparison of the results shows that for the same number of degrees of freedom the performance of the coupled solutions is superior to the conventional approach with respect to accuracy of solution and computational efficiency. Finally, some general guidelines are proposed for the efficient numerical solution of these types of problems using the coupled finite/infinite element approach.